The Big Island’s 2nd Annual Mauka Food & Fun Fest

“Celebrating the Kona Cowboy” Join us for the 2nd Annual MAUKA FOOD & FUN FEST!

Lots of food and fun for the Keiki’s and Adults alike!  Petting Zoo & Pony Rides; Bull riding; Cowboy Games; Local craft booths: Feather Lei’s for your hat or anything by HawaiiArt.com artist Iris Lambert ; Lauhala Weaving, Saddle making, Leather braiding; Bread baking.  Live Local Entertainment all day long; Augie T Live on Stage, and so much more!

Fundraiser for The Kona Historical Society; Saturday September 13; 9am – 4pm @ Kona Historical Society’s Pasture in Kealakekua; ADMISSION IS FREE! See you there!

For more information, please contact 808-323-3222 or www.konahistorical.org

Painting of Koi and Blue Heron by Deborah Wilson

Painting of Koi and Blue Heron by Deborah Wilson

I just caught a glimpse of this new piece by Deborah Wilson and fell in love.  You can see the “Anticipation” in the Heron’s eyes as it looks to pluck one of those tasty (?) Koi from the pond.  Deborah is offering this piece as open or limited edition prints so I hope you have the good fortune to enjoy them as much as I do.

Looking for a Photographer in Kona Hawaii

Photographer to Photograph Artwork

Looking for a photographer in the Honaunau area (or Kona side) to photograph 25 pastel pictures for the purposes of making prints and putting images on a website. A studio/well lit area is required, as the artist’s studio is currently enveloped in VOG.  The art consists of LaCarte card- Wallis sanded stock and Canson Mi-Tientes paper.  The sizes range from 6 x 8 through 18 x 24. Several are 10 x 15 and 10 x 16.

We will require the highest (native) resolution of each picture taken in order to produce high quality prints and for use on the website.  Please leave a comment with your contact information for Priscilla.

Hawaiian carvings framed in koa wood with fine art print and statement… Lovly!

Each large limited edition (50) is custom made to order.

Welcome Henani Enos and Olu Saguid

Includes a certificate of authenticity from the artists.

What art sells the best online?

Waialua Beach Morning giclee print by Lynne Boyer

Giclees, $75 – $550 with subjects done in realism.  Art that meets the customers expectation of “Hawaiian art” (no surprise there) especially when it comes to favorite locations once visited and loved.  Also, low to moderately priced ($50 – $200) traditional Hawaiian art does very well.  The top performing collections on HawaiiArt.com are Hawaiian fish hooks, then prints, photography, lauhala hats, and jewelry.  The worst selling is sculpture, poor sculpture…

It maybe helpful to artists, who are seeking to profit on-line, to understand the mentality of the person on the other side of your modem.   Your customer is literally trusting hundreds or thousands of dollars on a 800 pixel image, a snippet of text, and hopefully a website that has an air of security about it.

First time customers may have little or no reference about what kind of experience your art provides.  All they have to base their decision on is what “they think” your art should be like vs. what it looks like online, and do these factors match up?  Cognitive dissonance between the customers expectations and what your art and it’s online listing conveys can create a lack of trust which is the key make it or break it factor in selling anything.  This is why conveying your work through images, videos,  and text as accurately as possible is so important.

I hope for the day when technology will be able to overcome these limitations.  Perhaps the next version of HawaiiArt.com will be a 3D virtual space where customers can not only see their lauhala hat online but they can place it on there avatars head and see how they look in a virtual mirror.  Unfortunately, artists who create outside the norm and tend towards the abstract will find online sales a struggle especially if their market is primarily made up of first time buyers who dont know the artist “yet”.

Feel free to post questions or comments and I will be happy to share more about the workings of HawaiiArt.com. I would also like to know your thoughts or experiences too.

Holly Wild Ware at Haleiwa Arts Festival

Aloha,

I would like to contact one of the artists who had a jewelry display this past weekend at the Haleiwa Arts Festival to purchase one of her pieces.  This will be a surprise gift for my wife.  The one receipt I do have shows “Holly Wild Ware” however, I cannot find a phone number or address.  Please comment if you can be of assistance.

Mahalo,

Ralph Martin

52 Pieces in 52 Weeks by Hana Artist Renee Coates

Hana Artist Renee Coates

Right around the time I graduated from art school in NYC, my artwork back home in Hawaii started gaining attention.  Galleries were calling.  People wanted private commissions for their homes and businesses.   I realized I had a choice:  I could either work as a 9-5 artist for a textile company in NYC, or move back to the islands and have a shot at earning a living as an artist.  The idea of being free to paint every day without “clocking in”, and doing what I’m truly passionate about really appealed to me.

Over the years my original paintings began to elicit higher and higher prices, and found their place in homes and businesses across the globe.  In addition to original paintings, I also sold giclee prints, cards, and posters of my images in local stores and gift shops.

In spite of this success, a common theme when receiving inquires about my art started to emerge.  People love it, but not everyone can afford an original.  In fact, many find the limited edition giclee prints out of their range.  I realized a large percentage of my friends and family don’t own one of my originals.  I had commanded a price most artists only dream of, yet had catered to the few who could afford me.

As an artist, you want your vision to be shared with the world.  After struggling for some time to create a solution, 52 Pieces was born.

1 painting a week, 52 a year, totaling 52 pieces.

I want to give everyone the opportunity to own an original, without decreasing the value of my previous work that has sold.  The key is scale.  Imagine that one of my large paintings is shattered into 52 pieces.  People have an easier time investing a few hundred dollars in a small original than several thousand for a larger piece.  By working on small 6″ x 6″ canvases, I can still preserve my going rate, but also make originals available to those who may not usually buy one.  A per-square-inch formula (read more in “The Mathematics of Art”) enables me to create original artwork that can reach the masses.

The blog format is interesting because it opens communication between the patron and artist, and also keeps the site up-to-date and interactive.  Bidding on the art gives the patron the pricing power and redefines the traditional brick-and-mortar gallery setting.  The vision behind 52 pieces is to make the buying and selling of art more understandable and less intimidating.  It’s about starting a conversation between the artist and those who love her work.

Thank you for joining me in this endeavor.  I look forward to hearing from you every week!  “Visit www.52pieces.com to view a new painting by Renee every Sunday at 11:52 p.m. (EST)”

Thomas Deir Art Show Waikoloa Roy’s Restaurant

A yummy dessert at Roy's

Kailua Artist Thomas Deir, known for his tile murals and canvas paintings, will display some of his newest pieces and popular paintings at Roy’s Restaurant in Waikoloa on the Big Island from July 18, 2008 through November 30, 2008. The popular series of the Mokuluas, or Twin Islands in Lanikai on the island of Oahu has produced another painting – a horizontal version of “Paradise”, titled “Paradise Rainbow”. Another new addition is “Ewa Moon”, a perspective of Diamond Head from the Ewa side of Oahu while the full moon rises. Prices start at $100 and average about $1,200.

Most of the pieces in the show will be open edition giclees, available for purchase off the wall or at any size – custom made for you at no extra charge. All of Thomas’ giclees are hand painted by the artist, signed, and shipped to you for free.

There will be some small originals available at Roy’s, and to see more originals, visit the “The Gallery”, in the Hilton Waikoloa. To see and order giclee prints of Thomas’ work online, visit HawaiiArt.com

For commission work and an impressive portfolio of his tile and canvas art call Thomas at 808-261-7122

LA PIETRA TO HOLD SECOND ANNUAL PREMIERE ART SHOW

Courtesy Photo “He Puahala” a bowl, by Solomon Apio.

(Honolulu, July 8, 2008) — La Pietra¹s second annual premier art show will be held Saturday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at La Pietra, 2933 Poni Moi Road, near the Diamond Head end of Kapiolani Park. The Anne Namba fashion show will take place at 10 a.m. The show includes sculpture, oils, watercolor, ceramics, wood carving and jewelry from more than 40 local artists.

This year the show will take place on both floors of the lovely and historic main building of the campus, formerly the Dillingham estate. Valet parking is available.

One half of the proceeds will go to La Pietra. La Pietra¹s mission is to provide an exemplary educational program to approximately 250 girls in grades six through 12 who represent the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of our islands. More than 40 percent of our students receive some form of financial assistance.

Photo “He Puahala” a bowl, by Solomon Apio.

The participating artists as of July 7 are: Ron Kent, Rozan Andrews, Alani Apio, Solomon Apio, Allyn Bromley, Chula, Vicky Chock, Marijcke Bolton Christianson ¹73, Carol Collette, Chuck Davis, Jodi Endicott, Carol Fanning, Tom Fanning, Patrice Federspiel, Raina Grigg , Angela Headley, Pegge Hopper, Paul Hosch, Gary Hostellero, Annie Irons, Kenny Kicklighter, Nelson Lindsay, Hans Loffel , Russell Lowrey, The Meng Dynasty Jewelry, Anne Namba, Deborah Nehmad,  Garry Palm,  Stephen Paschal, Michael Powell, Krisine Provenza, Neil Sammons, Mapuana Schneider, Linda Strong, Hiroshi Tagami ,Cynthia Tesoro , Doug Tolentino, Gail Toma , Jerry Vasconcellos, Nancy Vilhauer, John Wisnosky, George Woollard and Cora Yee.

About La Pietra: La Pietra is Hawaii¹s only non-denominational fully accredited college preparatory school for girls, grades six to 12. Its emphasis on critical thinking and creative expression prepares girls for
leadership and encourages individual development. Technology is fully integrated into the comprehensive program of studies with classes enjoying a teacher-student ratio of 1:10. La Pietra offers a large school academic and extracurricular program in a nurturing small school environment. For more
information, please visit www.lapietra.edu

CALENDAR LISTING PLEASE

WHAT: Second Annual La Pietra Premiere Art Show, benefit for La Pietra, featuring more than 40 local artists, including Anne Namba fashion show

WHEN & WHERE: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 26. Ann Namba fashion show at 10 a.m.  at  La Pietra, 2933 Poni Moi Road (Diamond Head end of Kapiolani Park)

COST/PARKING/INFO: Free admission; valet parking. Call 922-2744.

Vintage Hawaiian Sign artist named Steven Neil

I am looking for a Vintage Hawaiian Sign artist named Steven Neil. I think his shop is called Signworks Hawaii. I thought he lived in Hilo, Hi. He makes wooden signs. He used to have work in a local gallery in Los Gatos, Ca.

Do you know where I can find him…I am remodeling my house and would very much like to get some of his artwork.  Thanks in advance for your help.

Mahalo’

John Giannotti